Celebration and congratulations accompanied the June 19 Sandy City Council meeting.

The Sandy Police Honor Guard, dressed in formal uniforms, presented the colors to help mark a meeting where the council provided commendations to the newly promoted deputy chief and one of Sandy's centenarian. 

Council updated on toxic algal bloom

Before the council business commenced, Assistant Director of Public Utilities Scott Ellis gave the council an update on the toxic algal bloom impacting the Jordan River and Utah Lake. 

Ellis said that Sandy's drinking water is so far assumed to be unaffected, and the canal systems in the city are assumed contain cyanobacteria because they draw secondary water for irrigation from the Jordan River and Utah lake. 

Sandy City swears in new deputy chief

The Sandy City Council swore in the recently promoted Deputy Chief Bill O'Neal.

O'Neal was hired by the police department 20 years ago, Police Chief Kevin Thacker said addressing the city council, worked as division commander, SWAT commander, administrative sergeant, certified SWAT medic and hostage negotiator.

“We’re excited. He’s going to be a great deputy chief,” Thacker said.

Thacker made the announcement of O'Neal’s promotion from captain to deputy chief earlier in the  year.

With his three children, Hunter, Brian and Kalle, at his side, he took the oath and his daughter Kalle pinned his badge to his uniform.

Sgt. Dean Carriger, Sandy Police public information officer, said the department converted one of three captain positions to the deputy chief position, effective July 1, 2016. The police force will continue with two police captains, five lieutenants and 14 sergeants for the time being.   

Centenarian honored

The Councilmember Steve Fairbanks read a proclamation from the city council and mayor’s office honoring June Davidson, who celebrated her 100th birthday on June 6, for her upstanding example of family and community. Fairbanks presented a framed letter from the city, as well as commendations from Sen. Orrin Hatch and Gov. Gary Herbert, congratulating her on a long life. Herbert’s proclamation also declared her a member of the Utah Century Club.

Davidson is the tenth of 15 children. Her parents named her after the month she was born in after running out of names for their children. She has outlived all of her siblings. She was married to her husband, Ralph, for 63 years before he died as an octogenarian at age 84.

She is mother to three children — two sons and a daughter — and grandmother to 16 grandchildren, 60 great-grandchildren and 31 great-great-grandchildren. She also mothered three sets of two foster children after her children were out of the home.

She also cared for a teenaged granddaughter who was in a coma for 10 years, discovering non-verbal means of communicating with her.

Hearing on Fratelli Rezone renoticed, rescheduled

Community Development Long Range Planning Manager Michael Wilcox said the public hearing scheduled for that night on a rezone application submitted by David Cannell of Fratelli Ristorante needed to be rescheduled and renoticed. The notice process required for public hearings on rezones was not followed for the March 19 Planning Commission meeting.

Wilcox said the proper notice procedure has been followed and the Planning Commission and City Council public hearings have been rescheduled for Aug. 5 and 9, respectively.

Cannell is attempting to rezone the lot near 1420 East Sego Lily Drive from a Special Development District to a Community Commercial District. The lot is currently zoned for housing.

There were no public comments given and the hearing was tabled until Aug. 9.

Council briefed on overlay zones

Community Development Director Michael Coulam instructed the council on the purposes and used of overlay zones after consternation over the now defunct Dimple Dell Overlay Zone.

Coulam submitted a memo to the council from Community Development Zoning Administrator Brian McCuiston detailing a brief use of the existing overlay zones and theoretical provisions of a potential Dimple Dell Overlay Zone.

Coulam said that the use of overlay zones are used to create special provisions for an area while preventing inappropriate zone rule changes that might not fit with the use of the zone in another part of the city.

Councilman Chris McCandless expressed his desire to to preserve the park and keep properties from being built in the park boundaries, but expressed his disapproval of increased setbacks. He claimed that it takes away property use from owners.

Councilwoman Maren Barker said that continued work on rezoning the Dimple Dell area goes against public will, noting that much of the public comment opposed and zoning change in the area.

Council elects, amends duties of the vice chairman

Councilman Scott Cowdell proposed the elected vice chairman’s previously mandated duty of acting as liaison to the Planning Commission be made optional.

Conversation on the proposal centered on the duties and potential power of being the liaison and whether or not the vice chairman was obligated as a leader to take on that duty. The council voted 4-3 in favor of separating these duties.

Barker was elected to the vice chairmanship and said the only reason she would want the vice chairmanship was act as liaison to the planning commission.